Electrical Technician

Department Overview

Power Generation maintains and operates PG&E's hydroelectric, fossil and renewable generation facilities, providing more than 4,000 megawatts of generating capacity for our customers. We are an organization of nearly 700 employees dedicated to delivering safe, reliable and cost effective generation to California in an environmentally responsible manner. As an integral and active member of the company team, Power Generation contributes to PG&E's goal of becoming the leading utility in the United States.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company is an AA/EEO employer that actively pursues and hires a diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.

This is an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1245 represented classification, which has over 100 years of experience representing employees at PG&E. This job is subject to collective bargaining.

Relay Protection Electrical Technician (Hydro) is expected to be proficient in the calibration, installation, maintenance, and operation of protective relays and associated equipment to ensure the efficient, safe, reliable, and NERC Reliability Standards compliant operation of PG&E generating plants and transmission networks. The role involves troubleshooting, repairing, overhauling, calibrating, and maintaining components of protective relay systems (microprocessor and electromechanical), substation and electric utility protection systems, station automation, and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems.

Electrical Technicians assist our team in safely operating and maintaining hydroelectric powerhouses and related facilities, and provide construction and project management expertise to expand and replace infrastructure as needed. Other duties include installation, field testing, and maintenance of protective relay equipment, relay carriers, supervisory equipment, station apparatus, instruments, remote and local control devices, and associated wiring.

The position requires working from heights at high altitudes, around energized equipment, navigating stairs, ladders, rock, gravel, and concrete, and operating in extreme weather conditions at remote sites. The role also involves travel between multiple site locations during work hours.

PG&E is providing an hourly rate that the company believes it might pay for this position at the time of posting. The starting wage rate for this position is $82.53 per hour. This rate is based on specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, geographic location, collective bargaining agreements, and internal equity.

• Install, field test, and maintain protective relay equipment, relay carriers, supervisory equipment, station apparatus, instruments, remote and local control devices, and associated wiring.
• Be proficient in print reading, specifically elementary schematics and diagrams of connections.
• Calibrate electro-mechanical and microprocessor relays, including distance, directional overcurrent, overcurrent, overvoltage, under voltage, differential, frequency, phase unbalance, negative sequence, and loss of excitation.
• Test current transformers, covering saturation, primary and secondary current ratio, voltage ratio, and insulation resistance.
• Test power and potential (instrument) transformers, covering polarity, transformer turn ratio, voltage ratio, insulation resistance, oil dielectric, oil acidity, sudden pressure, and moisture test.
• Test a variety of transducers, such as voltage, watt, var, current, and milli-volt.
• Pack and move equipment from ground, trucks, or platforms; lift, carry, and install tools, parts, and equipment weighing up to 100 pounds on mountainous terrain, dams, canals, stairways, and ladders.
• Use safety equipment such as eye, ear, foot, hand protection, and fall protection equipment.
• Work around chemicals, fuels, solvents, oils, acids, paints, and substances identified in Proposition 65.
• Maneuver frequently on stairs and ladders, over rock, gravel,…